[AntonEngblom]

Originally Posted by whpalmer4

Unfortunately, in the case of publications, they don't always get it right. I've seen all too many magazines with new editors or publishers roll out some "new, improved design" which is a step backward, not forward. And you aren't really suggesting that everything Apple changes is an improvement, are you?

To change something is a risk in a way. Of course do not all people always win when they risk something. It wouldn't be called "risk" then.

The fear of not "always getting it better" is not a good reason for stop improving!

In the case of OF the risk would perhaps be that any graphical change would make it worse than it is today. I think that with the right people on its right place this should not lead to a loss for anyone.

If you are not willing to risk anything you all know that you can not win anything.

Thank you for your reply!

[AntonEngblom]

And one thing more. I am not so sure about if EVERY change apple does is good. I don't know. But it is perhaps unlikely.
But I do think that every change Apple or any company does has an intention of improvement! That is the important part.
Hopefully you also think that Apple getting better and better rather than worse.
I think OF will be the obvious choice for so many more people if they / WHEN they improve this.
Cant wait to see this!

[atreinke]

Originally Posted by atreinke

I happen to like the OF display just the way it is now. The display contains everything I need / want and it is easy to see-find-and use. I am not into "pretty" software, I want function and high visibility of the information I want and need with a glance and it is all there. The bells and whistles are there and easy to find without all the extra colors and fluff.

OK, I need to recall my previous post. I tried out Things awhile back but did not give it a full test, so I decided to give it another shot today. I took everything I had in OF and put it into Things and set it up exactly the same way (the best I could anyway, OF -vs- Things functionality). All the active projects, and someday/maybe, all the actions, etc. Then I spent little time just looking at it and aesthetically,... I decided that I do like the look of it a little better. I even like some of the functionality although I still think OF beats it. So, that being said, I wouldn't mind some visual design enhancements to OF.

Now, if I could only find some way of getting a Windows or Cloud version in there for OF........

[Megamoose]

I used Things heavily for over a year before recently switching to OmniFocus. I personally had nothing against Things -- I'd still be using it if it just allowed better organization of projects (folders, sub-projects, etc.). There are still some aspects of Things I miss, such as how well it printed tasks. I own OmniFocus, Things, and The Hit List; and of them all Things is the only one that appears to have put effort into making a nicely printed report.

That said, I personally didn't care much for the interface in Things. While I did find it very attractive initially, over time I found it getting in my way. I very often dump a lot of thoughts into the comments areas of my tasks along with status updates. I hated having to double-click on tasks to view these details. At first it was no big deal, but over time it got really annoying. Plus there was no way to view details of multiple tasks at once.

I'm all for OmniFocus looking prettier so long as the change is mild. Today OF has a pretty flat interface. Modern operating systems have made us accustomed to certain 3D design elements in our interfaces (for better or worse). Things goes a little overboard with the 3D. The Hit List has a nice balance of it (though I hate the notepad styling).

In OF I personally would be happy with simply having more control over the styling of backgrounds of the various elements (project titles, actions, etc.). Currently we just have background color (even the shadow option is greyed-out). Given the other styling controls we have today, if we could style the color, texture, and shadow of those background elements I think we could actually get close to mimicking the designs of many other programs people keeping comparing OF to. Being able to style the checkbox itself would be icing on the cake.

Whatever change Omni does decide to make, just please don't make the interface get in my way. That's why I'm using OF in the first place.

Originally Posted by Megamoose

Whatever change Omni does decide to make, just please don't make the interface get in my way. That's why I'm using OF in the first place.

I think that's right.

We need designs that maximise revelation of our data (in all its layers and nuances), while minimizing the cognitive effort and distraction that is imposed on us.

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[ksrhee]

Originally Posted by RobTrew

I think that's right.

We need designs that maximise revelation of our data (in all its layers and nuances), while minimizing the cognitive effort and distraction that is imposed on us.

--

Yes! While I agree that OF could look better and "pretty," but not at the expense of functionality or efficiency. I always come back to OF because of these two things.

Yes, I've tried both Things and THL (which development seems to have stalled btw), but at the end of the day, both lacked several critical functionality that OF offers (e.g., flexibility of organizing data, ease of review, quick entry**). **they all offer quick entry function, but entering data into other programs is nothing but quick for me.

One thing I hate about Things is that I can't put any items that have later start date than today into project folders. Now that seems obvious there is a need to do this for many, but they haven't changed this even though it's been one of the most requested features since its release. Both Things and THL also do not provide an easy way for me to review all my projects and to add/change items in the projects.

Now am I saying OF is perfect? No, but among all the tools I have available (I have used LF as well), OF seems to offer the best functionality and most features I need to be organized. Another way to say this is that OF right now is the best program that gets out of my way when it comes to planning and letting me focus on getting things done. With all others (due to their limitations), I spent more time entering, organizing, and viewing my tasks, and as a result, they are distractions. Of course, I could be using those extra times to get things done to improve my productivity. My time is limited; so, I could either spend my time planning or acting, and any extra time I spend on planning than it is needed, I'm not getting things done.

Thanks.